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Key quotes from Congress’ hearing on Russia and the U.S. election Reuters

March 21, 2017

FBI Director James Comey testifies before the House Intelligence Committee hearing into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts WASHINGTON The House Intelligence Committee on Monday held an unusual open hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and related issues. Here are key quotes from the hearing, where FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency director Admiral Michael Rogers testified: ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CLAIM THAT FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA WIRETAPPED HIM: “With respect to the president’s tweets about alleged wiretapping directed at him by the prior administration, I have no information that supports those tweets, and we have looked carefully inside the FBI. The Department of Justice has asked me to share with you that the answer is the same for the Department of Justice and all its components.” – Comey “Let me be clear: we know there was not a wiretap on Trump Tower. However, it’s still possible that other surveillance activities were used against President Trump and his associates.” – Committee Chairman Representative Devin Nunes ON THE FBI INVESTIGATION OF RUSSIA’S INTERFERENCE: “I have been authorized by the Department of Justice to confirm that the FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election and that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the…more detail

Google has said the number of requests it has had from governments to share information about its users has gone up by 120% in the past four years. The rise was blamed on an increase in users, but the company also said more governments were starting to "exercise their authority to make requests". In releasing the data the search giant renewed its calls for government surveillance reform. Last year, 53,356 requests for data were made globally, Google said. The majority of requests come from the US - but the figures do not include bulk surveillance carried out by the country's…... [read more]

Media captionLIVE: President Obama's speechPresident Barack Obama is expected to order the National Security Agency (NSA) to stop storing data from Americans' phones, after a series of leaks about intelligence operations. Reports suggest Mr Obama will ask Congress to arrange how the data is stored, and how agencies can access it. The president is due to announce a number of changes to the spying system. Former intelligence worker Edward Snowden has leaked an array of details about the NSA's spying programme. As so often, [President Obama's] liberal instincts may be at war with his perceived duty as commander in chief…... [read more]

US allies Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Chile have joined other Latin American nations in demanding answers from Washington over spying allegations. Brazilian media reported earlier this week that the US had seized web traffic and phone calls across the region. Spying targets included oil and energy firms, Venezuela's military purchases and information on Mexico's drug wars. The reports, based on leaks by fugitive Edward Snowden, said the US ran a "data-collection base" in Brasilia. The O Globo newspaper said the US facility in the Brazilian capital was part of a network of 16 such bases maintained by the National Security…... [read more]

Media captionFormer CIA worker Edward Snowden was last seen in Hong Kong, reports the BBC's Jennifer PakThe EU is demanding assurances that Europeans' rights are not being infringed by massive, newly revealed US surveillance programmes. Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding plans to raise the concerns with US Attorney General Eric Holder on Friday. Last week a series of leaks by a former CIA worker led to claims the US had a vast surveillance network with much less oversight than previously thought. The US insists its snooping is legal under domestic law. The Obama administration is investigating whether the disclosures by former…... [read more]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to push for tougher European laws to protect personal information on the internet. In a TV interview with the public broadcaster ARD, she said Germany wanted internet companies "to tell us in Europe who they are giving data to". Her comments follow revelations about a US spying operation that collects users' data from internet companies. Mrs Merkel also said she expected the US to abide by German law. Tensions have been running high between the two countries following reports that the US has been eavesdropping on EU and German officials. "I expect a clear…... [read more]

Media captionJohn Kerry: "This is a man who has betrayed his country"US Secretary of State John Kerry has labelled intelligence leaker Edward Snowden a fugitive from justice who should "man up" and return home. Mr Kerry added that if Mr Snowden, 30, "believes in America, he should trust the American system of justice". His comments come in the wake of an interview with NBC in which Mr Snowden said he sought asylum in Russia because the US revoked his passport. Mr Snowden also described himself as a trained spy, not a low-level analyst. "A patriot would not run away," Mr…... [read more]

British spy agency GCHQ intercepted webcam images from millions of Yahoo users around the world, according to a report in the Guardian. Yahoo denied prior knowledge of the alleged programme, describing it as a "completely unacceptable" privacy violation. According to leaked documents, sexually explicit images were among those gathered - although not intentionally. In a statement GCHQ has said all of its actions are in accordance with the law. The operation, which was called Optic Nerve and was aided by the US National Security Agency, is alleged to have stored images between 2008 and 2010. In one six-month period in…... [read more]

The British computer scientist who created the world wide web has said encryption cracking by UK and US spy agencies is "appalling and foolish". Sir Tim Berners-Lee told the Guardian that the practice undermined efforts to fight cybercrime and cyberwarfare. He called for a "full and frank public debate" on internet surveillance. It comes as a parliamentary committee has quizzed the heads of the UK's spying agencies - GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 - together in public for the first time. Security weakened Sir Tim said the system of checks and balances to oversee GCHQ and its US counterpart the National…... [read more]

A former senior intelligence official has questioned the impartiality of the committee scrutinising Britain's security services. Sir Francis Richards said it was "not a very good idea" for an ex-Conservative minister to head Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee. But Sir Malcolm Rifkind said he was well placed to do the job as he had "handled intelligence" as a minister. It follows questions about intelligence leaked by US whistleblower Ed Snowden. Sir David Omand, a former UK homeland security adviser, has suggested the public disclosure of thousands of top-secret files by former CIA spy Edward Snowden was the most "catastrophic loss…... [read more]

Leaked surveillance programme details have been the "most catastrophic loss to British intelligence ever", a senior UK security expert has said. Former No 10 adviser Sir David Omand said he assumed data leaked by ex-US intelligence worker Edward Snowden was being analysed by Russia and China. He said the breach was worse than that by the Cambridge spy ring in the 1950s. The Guardian has said it will continue to publish leaks by Mr Snowden, who is now in Russia. Meanwhile, Business Secretary Vince Cable said the newspaper had performed "a very considerable public service" - appearing to contradict his…... [read more]